FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Nov. 16, 2016 -- The MacDowell Colony is proud to announce new partnerships with ArteEast and the SustainableArts Foundation, as well as a new grant from the Ford Family Foundation for 2016.
ArteEast will fund travel and Fellowship costs for an artist from the Middle East in the coming year. A New York-based nonprofit organization, ArteEast provides support to artists based in the Middle East and North Africa, the same region The MacDowell Colony reaches through its Voices of Change initiative. The goal of Voices of Change is to promote artistic freedoms in regions of political, economic, and social instability. In the rapidly changing Middle East, artists like writer Yasmine El Rashidi, filmmaker Burcu Koray, and composer Joelle Khoury help lead the dialogue in envisioning a way forward. ArteEast will support a MacDowell residency of up to two months for an outstanding artist from the Middle East/North Africa that includes a $1,500 stipend. ArteEast will conduct outreach to its network to raise awareness of this opportunity among artists in the region.
Meanwhile, for artists with children, taking time off for a MacDowell residency can be especially challenging. That’s why MacDowell is delighted to receive a $5,000 grant from the Sustainable Arts Foundation to establish MacDowell’s first childcare financial aid fund. Artists of demonstrated need may apply for childcare stipends of up to $1,000 in addition to general financial aid and travel support. Too often, creative impulses are set aside to meet the pressing demands of raising a family. The Sustainable Arts Foundation's goal is to encourage parents to continue pursuing their creative passion, and to rekindle it in those who may have let it slide.
The Ford Family Foundation has awarded MacDowell a new grant that will fund seven visual arts residencies for Oregon artists over the next two years. In an effort to connect Oregon artists with the wider art world, the foundation is supporting fellowships at several national residency programs. This grant also helps MacDowell cultivate a more geographically diverse artist community.
To find out more about the stipends and special projects offered to artists, and discover how you can support these causes, read more here.
